Combination golf ball and club washer



Sept. 10, 1968 P. A. NICHOLSON ETAL. 3,400,415

COMBINATION GOLF BALL AND CLUB WASHER Filed July 14. 1967 .fd Z

JNVENTORS United States Patent O M 3,400,416 COMBINATION GOLF BALL AND CLUB WASHER Paul A. Nicholson and Marjorie C. Nicholson, 1012 Broadmont Terrace, Falls Church, Va. 22046 Filed July 14, 1967, Ser. No. 653,511 8 Claims. (Cl. 15-21) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A receptacle for a washing liquid provided with a plunger carrying a ball-holder and a brush-carrying member, brush means having a stationary mounting in the receptacle in ball-brushing proximity to the ball-holder member, and cavity means in the receptacle for supporting a golf club, either a wood or an iron, in brushing proximity to the brush of said brush-carrying member, so that upon reciprocation of said plunger a ball carried by said ball-holder member, or a club supported in said cavity, or both, may be cleaned by the respective brushes.

The invention comprises, in a golf ball and club washer, the combination With a receptacle to contain a Washing liquid, of a plunger reciprocable therein and provided with a member apertured to receive a golf ball and with a brush-carrying member, brush means stationary in said receptacle in ball-brushing proximity to said apertured ball-receiving member, and cavity means in said receptacle for supporting a golf club with its face in brushing contact with the brush of said brush-carrying member, and the invention includes, also, a cover for said receptacle and a handle for said plunger, said cover being apertured to permit reciprocation of said plunger, ball-receiving member and brush-carrying member, and said plunger being provided with closure means for the said apertures of said cover member when the plunger is in its depressed position within the receptacle, and, further, an aperture in the cover in register with said cavity means, said aperture being provided with an openable and reclosable closure member, all as will be explained hereinafter more fully and iinally claimed.

In the accompanying drawing illustrating the invention, in the several figures of which like parts are similarly designated,

FIG. l is a top plan view of the device of the invention,

FIG. 2 is a sectional elevational view of the device taken substantially on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1, and showing the plunger in fully depressed position,

FIG. 3 is a sectional elevational view similar to that of FIG. 2, but with the device turned on its vertical axis through an angle of ninety degrees, and

FIG. 4 is a top plan View of the device with the cover removed.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention shown, the receptacle 1 and cover 2 are preferably made of a moldable plastic and, as earlier indicated, furnish a container for a washing liquid.

The reciprocable plunger 3, having a handle 4 extending above the cover 2, is provided with a ball-holder member 5 apertured at 6, in a conventional manner, to receive and hold a ball 7 indicated in broken lines in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, and a brush-carrying member 8, preferably arranged substantially normal to the ball-holder member 5, substantially in T-formation in plan, and carrying brush means 9, the ball-holder member 5 and brushcarrying member 8 being rigidly connected with the handle 4 and being vertically reciprocable therewith within, and above the cover 2 of, the receptaclefl, and guide members 10 and 11 upon the inner surface of the re- 3,400,416 Patented Sept. 10, 1968 ceptacle serve to guide the members 5 and 8, respectively, during reciproeation of the plunger 3.

Within the receptacle 1, and xedly mounted therein, anking and in operative brushing relation to the ball 7 carried by the member 5, is a pair of brushes 12 of rather conventional form, and cavity means 13 and 14 are provided in a seat member 15 of the receptacle 1 for accommodating golf clubs, a wood club 16 and an iron club 17, indicated in broken lines in FIGS. 3 and 4, respectively, in brushing relation to the brush means 9 of the brush-carrying member 8.

Having reference particularly to FIG. 1, it will be seen that the cover 2 is apertured at 18 to permit passage of the ball holder member `5 above the cover 2 for insertion of a ball 7 within its aperture 6, and is further apertured at 19 to accommodate passage of the ball past the cover and into brushing contact with the brushes 12, and its withdrawal from the receptacle. These apertures are furnished, jointly, with closure members or ilaps 20 carried by the plunger 3 at opposite sides of the ballholder member 5 and serve to cover the apertures when the plunger is in its fully depressed position. Another cover aperture 21 serves to permit passage of the brushcarrying member 8, with its brush means 9, and a similar closure member or ilap 22 carried by the plunger serves to close that portion of this aperture above the brush means 9 when the plunger is in its fully depressed position. A further cover aperture 23 lies over, and registers with, the cavity means 13, and this aperture is provided with a closure member 24 pivotally mounted at 25 for swinging movement away from the aperture when it is desired to insert a club 16 into the cavity means 13. A still further aperture 26 in the cover 2 provides access to the cavity means 14, but no closure member or flap is provided for this aperture because of its relatively small area. The closure members, or flaps, 20, 22 and 24, serve, when closed, to prevent access of rain-water to the receptacle 1 to such an extent that it might too much dilute the liquid in the receptacle, such liquid usually having a desired detergent content.

The manner of using the device is believed to be rather obvious, at least insofar as ball washing is concerned, but some description of its use in club Washing is thought to be in order. Whether the plunger is in its fully depressed position, is elevated, or is in a median position, with the aperture of the cover at 23 uncovered and the ca-vity means 13 exposed, a wood club is inserted into the cavity means toe-down with its face in contact with the bristles lof the brush means 9 and its shaft resting upon the cover 2. Similarly, an iron club may be inserted in the cavity means 14, toe-down with its face in contact with the bristles of the brush means 9 and its shaft resting upon the cover 2. It is to be noted in this connection that the bottom surfaces of the cavity means 13 and 14 are slanted toward the brush means 9 this serving to urge the inserted clubs toward such brush means during the cleaning operation.

With wood clubs, such as the 1wood, or driver, and 2-wood, or bras'sie, for instance, the club face has so little loft that the shaft may extend in the direction indicated particularly in FIG. 4, but where the short Woods or irons are to be cleaned their lofted faces may be brought into proper contact with the bristles of the brush means 9 by rotation of their heads on their shanks with the shafts extending at appropriate horizontal angles, as indicated by the broken line showing of a S-iron, or mashie, 17 in FIG. 4. The clubs depicted in FIGS. 3 and 4 are right-hand clubs, but if left-hand clubs are to be cleaned their shafts will extend over the cover 2 in a direction opposite to that shown.

Obviously, the brush members 12 and 9 may be of renewable, replaceable type, or they may be molded in situ in the asso'ciated parts of the receptacle 1 and brushcarrying member 8, respectively.

Also, although brushes are particularly shown as the brushing means at 9 and 12, it is to be understood that other appropriate means might be substituted therefor so long as they will properly function in the ball and club cleaning operations.

Furthermore, the receptacle 1 may be made of metal, if desired, and the plunger parts may be made of wood, but the relative economy of forming these parts of molded plastic, and discarding them when worn out, or past the state of real usefulness, is a factor not to be overlooked.

Various changes and ,modifications are considered to be within the principle of the invention and the scope of the following claims.

What we claim is:

1. In a golf ball and club washer, a receptacle for containing a washing liquid, provided with brushing means ixedly mounted therein in spaced relation to each other, and provided also with cavity means for supporting a golf club in Washing position therein, a plunger vertically reciprocable in said receptacle and carrying a ball holder member capable of reciprocation between said ixedly mounted brushing means, and carrying also a member provided with brushing means capable of reciprocation in juxtaposition to said cavity means, whereby with a ball in said ball holder member, or a golf cliub in said cavity means, or both, reciprocation of said plunger will serve to clean said ball or club, or both.

2. In a golf ball and club washer as dened in claim 1, said plunger carrying said ball holder member and said member provided with brushing means in T-form arrangement when viewed in plan.

3. In a golf ball and club washer as delined in claim 2, said plunger provided with a handle extending exteriorly of said receptacle and joined to said ball holder member and to said member provided with brushing means in the zone of intersection of the head and stern of said T-forrn.

4. In a golf ball and club washer as defined in claim 2, said ball holder member constituting the stem of said T-form and said member provided with brushing means constituting the head of said T-form.

5. In a golf:` ball and club washer as defined in claim 1, said receptacle being furnished with a cover apertured for the passage therethrough of the ball holder member and the member provided with brushing means, and for the insertion of a club head into said cavity means.

6. In a golf ball and club washer as defined in claim 5, closure means for the apertures for passage of said ball holder member and said member provided with brushing means, said closure means being mounted upon and reciprocable with said plunger.

7. In a golf ball and club washer as defined in claim 5, closure means for the aperture in said cover for insertion of a club head into said cavity means, said closure means comprising a member mounted for retraction from above said cavity means.

. 8. In a golf ball and club washer as defined in claim 7, the closure .means for said aperture comprising a member pivotally mounted for swinging movement in its retraction from and restoration over said aperture and cavity means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS EDWARD L. ROBERTS, Primary Examiner. 

